Excerpts from “Zeyr” part 1 -Emily

[Part 1 of a 9 part series]

Sissca’s heart was pounding uncontrollably. Her head was spinning, making her dizzy. Fear, anger, misery, nervousness, anxiety, excitement…. All of such emotions mixed together in her stomach.
Currently, she had enough adrenalin-soup contained inside her to end world hunger.
Sissca hadn’t been expecting war to be like this.[1] She knew of the constant fighting and had heard of the obscene and murderous ways of Viscroy, yes. But it was difficult for her to grasp the sense that killing was good, that it would help Kaká and Darthayslia. That ominous and sickening crunch of flesh and bone under a heavy sword made her pale in the face. Tearing others limbs apart with magic didn’t sound much better, either.
Maybe that’s why she was assigned this job. Darkaî, after all, would feel no regret in watching Sissca shudder in horror at someone being killed.
Nonetheless, Sissca was terrified. Her position in battle was to go and heal others with, hopefully, the best magic she could muster. It was an easy job.
“Even such a bedraggled, unworthy female humanoid like you, idiot, could do it,” she remembered Darkaî telling her in a cynical manner. “I would not worry, but you may have to.”
Obviously, he wasn’t much of a help.
“It’s okay, Sissca,” the eccentrically optimistic Alex counteracted. “I’ve been taught how to kill by professionals, and it really isn’t that bad when you know the enemy’s just a whole bunch of-” A few choice Zikkanian swear words were enough to earn him a good thwacking from his Kakálian friend, Zixxi.
Sissca was uptight, but needed to do her job if Darthayslia and Kaká were going to survive this war.
Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, all attempts fruitless.
__________________________________________________________________
[1] The three main nationalities on this side of the flat world, Kaká, Darthayslia, and Zikka, have, in this section of the story, gathered their own armies to set to battle. Our main characters are fighting for the freedom of Kaká and Darthayslia from the Zikkanian Empire. Kakálians, with black blood, have a knack for magic, Zikkanians, with red blood, are good at melee, and Darthayslians, with blue blood, are well rounded in both. The leader of the Zikkanian army is the Darkalinite Viscroy, a long time enemy of Darkaî’s.